Sins
of the past have been resurrected, predetermining their path to love. Can they
overcome the treacherous obstacles set before them?

Jax Christensen likes his life just the way
it is. He has his work, his club, and the occasional naked submissive to take
his mind off everything else. He doesn’t talk about the past, as there is no
point in reminiscing about things that cannot be altered. His chest has an
empty hole where his heart used to be, but he’s grown accustomed to the
constant pain. It’s become the only thing that reminds Jax that he’s alive.

Emily Weiss has never forgotten the one and
only man she’s ever loved. She’s hidden for two long years in an attempt to
protect Jax and herself, desperate to try and stay one step ahead of those who
want her dead. She has information that could destroy the United Nations.
Unfortunately, they want to eliminate her first. Emily’s exhausted and wants
more than anything to feel safe once more. That was how she felt in Jax’s
strong arms and she longs to be there again.

When Jax sees that Emily has risen from the
grave, his heart and soul are full of anger and regret. He’ll never forgive her
lies and deception. He will, however, keep her safe. He hates her for what
she’s done, but he doesn’t want her death on his conscience. He’ll protect her
and then walk away.

Secrets are revealed and the danger is more
sinister and deadly than anyone could have guessed. Jax and Emily are forced on
the run and the passion they once felt for one another burns even hotter and
brighter the second time around. Jax doesn’t know how he’ll walk away this time
or if he even wants to. Emily is determined to expose a high-level official
within the United Nations and walk away unscathed. She wants a second chance
with her first love — even if it kills her.

EXCERPT

He’d cataloged
three people in the room. Crest was
behind his desk, Emily was standing in front of him, and one other person was
to his right. Jax didn’t give the man a
second glance. He didn’t give a shit who
the tight ass suit was. He only cared
about the woman standing in front of him.
Emily slowly turned and faced him, her blue eyes filled with regret and
something else he couldn’t name.
Whatever it was couldn’t hold a candle to the rage that was simmering in
his veins. He changed his mind. There was no reason fucking good enough for
what she’d put him through, only to turn up two years later as if nothing had
happened.

“Jax, you need to
listen to me,” Crest said, coming into his line of vision.

Jax turned and
within seconds had Crest shoved up against the wall with his forearm against
his boss’s throat. He was breathing
hard, waiting for an excuse to be able to physically take out his frustration
on another human being. Finally clearing
the haze from his eyes, it dawned on him that Crest had known all along who
Emily was and what her connection was to Jax.
What else did Crest know? He
pulled his arm back, with every intention of getting retribution.

“Jax, please
don’t.”

Emily’s voice cut
through the miasma that had surrounded him.
He was trained better and knew that the slightest hesitation gave the
other person the advantage, but it was too late. Before Jax could blink Crest brought up his
hands, breaking the hold. Jax found
himself up against the wall, Crest in total control.

“I’m going to
release you and you’re going to listen, because Emily’s life depends on
it.” Crest’s voice never wavered,
instead remaining calm and cool like his demeanor. That caused Jax to feel even more rage, but
he bottled it quickly, knowing Crest had the upper hand at the moment. Jax relaxed his muscles, leaning his weight
on the wall. He could play this game
with the best of them. Crest continued
to speak. “I know this looks bad, Jax,
but she had good reason for what she did.”

“Just like you had
good reason to keep it from me?” Jax asked, unable to keep all of his fury
contained. He remained as still as
Crest, relaxed in his hold, and waited until the man took a step back. Jax wiped the back of his hand over his
mouth, unable to believe this was really happening. Disloyalty was something he couldn’t
tolerate. He thought Crest held the same
morals, but apparently not. “Nothing
will ever make that right, Top.”

Jax had
purposefully used the nickname that grunts used in reference to Master
Sergeants in the Marines. He wanted —
no, needed — to drill into Crest what an intimate betrayal this was. He personally had never called Gavin Crest by
the nickname that Connor seemed to use like a minion did to a god. He understood his friend’s need to be
grateful to Crest for giving them a chance to live their lives as a normal
civilian, but Jax felt like he’d repaid his debt tenfold. He did his job and he did it well. No one could ask for more.

Connor had
repeatedly said that Jax had changed on their last combat tour. Emily’s absence from his life had done that
to him and made him realize what a person went through when people were ripped
away. Switching his gaze to the woman he
would have laid his life down for made him understand that her death would have
been easier to accept. Her perfidy and
deceit was just too much.

“Jax, I didn’t know
until a month ago,” Crest explained. He
took another step back, as if unsure how Jax would react, before slowly moving
to stand in front of his desk. He
loosened his tie and then made sure his cuff links were still in place. Jax couldn’t bring himself to look Emily in
the eye and instead concentrated on Crest.
She disgusted him and the only way he was going to get through this was
if he listened to what Crest had to say and then left for his flight out of the
country. He wanted to be anywhere but
here. Crest motioned to the other
man. “This is Schultz Jessalyn, Special
Assistant to the National Security Advisor.”

Jax ignored the man
who still stood on the other side of the room.
There was no need for introductions, regardless of this man’s
position. He could be the fucking Pope
and Jax wouldn’t have cared. Not wanting
to appear anything else but bored with this conversation, Jax stepped forward
and crossed his arms. The faster he
dealt with this the sooner he could leave.

“I have a flight to
catch,” Jax said, keeping his tone even.
He thought about quitting, handing in his resignation right here and
now, but the assignment that would take him around the world and away from the
duplicity that was filling up this room sounded even better. “Don’t worry, Crest. I’ll do my job.”

“Jessie is on her
way in,” Crest said, as if Jax hadn’t spoken.
His dark green eyes zeroed in on Jax. “She’s going to change your flight
information over to Lach. He’s taking the
overseas assignment. I need you
here. Emily needs you here.”

Jax ground his
teeth together to prevent himself from saying they could all go fuck
themselves, but something held him back.
Even though it felt like he was roasting his entire body over
excruciatingly hot flames, he forced himself to really look at Emily. She’d dyed her dark brown hair to a light
blonde, although she had left the length that he used to love to play with and
still dreamed about. She was slightly
thinner than he remembered, but he could find no sympathy that she might have
stressed over the choices that she’d made.
Her athletic build was still there, although slightly less obvious. There were shadows underneath her blue eyes
and her skin had taken on a pale pallor, yet still he could feel their enduring
connection. A mental barrier shifted
into place, blocking out any emotion that may have lingered. Emily had no idea the hell she was putting
him through but he immediately had closure that he hadn’t before. She was deader to him now more than
ever. That switch was thrown.

“She made her
choice.” Jax turned on the heel of his
boot and walked to the door. He changed
his mind on quitting. “You’ll have my
resignation on your desk by the end of the day.”

First and foremost, I love life. I love that I'm a
wife, mother, daughter, sister...and a writer.

I am one of the lucky women in this world who gets to do
what makes them happy. As long as I have a cup of coffee (maybe two or
three) and my laptop, the stories evolve themselves and I try to do them
justice. I draw my inspiration from a retired Marine Master Sergeant that
swept me off of my feet and has drawn me into a world that fulfills all of my
deepest and darkest desires. Erotic romance, military men, intrigue, with
a little bit of kinky chili pepper (his recipe), fill my head and there is
nothing more satisfying than making the hero and heroine fulfill their
destinies.